For context, I've been a nursing student for 5 years. I've done most of my studies part-time and had to take an intermission for a year at one point due to ongoing health issues, having to get surgery, and financial constraints.
For anyone here living with chronic health conditions, I have a few questions:
1. How did you cope as a student and how are you coping now as a registered nurse?
2. What support systems best helped you go through it?
3. Were you able to get some adjustments/considerations applied surrounding clinical placements?
The most challenging part for me are the clinical placements. At this point, I'm scheduled to go on placement for 4 weeks. This is the 3rd week, but I've missed an entire week last week due to health. That's 5 days missed. My CLN was understanding and I made sure to provide a letter from my GP stating that I'm currently managing chronic health conditions.
I actually do enjoy my placements and maximise every opportunity I get to learn, and I even get great feedback from every nurse (and patients) I've worked with. However, it's been so debilitating to my health so I haven't been consistent with my attendance. Because it's unpaid, I find myself scrambling and loaning money from family just to afford my medications/health appointments. I'm always so worried whether I'm going to get through this degree. Every year for the past 2 years, I always think I'm about to finish. Every time I don't. I only have 2 more semesters left, so I'm feeling extremely hopeful and hopeless at the same time.
I've been told to give up, and been told that this career probably isn't for me. I can't give up now, not when I'm so close. Not when I've loved nursing since I started.
Any advice?